Ronnie Barker

Birthday: 25 September 1929, Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK

Birth Name: Ronald William George Barker

Height: 173 cm

Ronnie Barker's remarkable versatility as a performer can be traced back to his time in repertory theatre, where he was able to play a wide range of roles and develop his talent for accents, voices and verbal dexterity. It was during this time that he met Glenn Melvyn, who taught him how to stammer (something he would later use to great effect in the sitcom Open All Hours (1973)). Melvyn also gave Ronnie his break into television by offering him a role in I'm Not Bothered (1956). During the 1960s, Ronnie became well-established in radio, providing multiple voices for "The Navy Lark" and working with comedy great Jon Pertwee. He also became a regular face on television, appearing in The Frost Report (1966) (perhaps most memorably in a sketch about Britain's class system, with John Cleese and Ronnie Corbett) and playing character roles on The Saint (1962) and The Avengers (1961).In 1971, Ronnie teamed up with Ronnie Corbett again, this time for a BBC sketch series called The Two Ronnies (1971). This series proved enormously popular, continuing until the late 1980s. In addition to "The Two Ronnies", Barker starred on the popular BBC sitcoms Porridge (1974) (as a cockney prisoner) and Open All Hours (1973) (as a stammering Northern shopkeeper). In fact, only Leonard Rossiter could be said to have rivaled him during this time for the crown of British television's most popular comedy star. In 1982, he revived silent comedy in By the Sea (1982). Despite his extrovert performances on television, Barker remained a quiet, retiring individual in his personal life, much preferring to spend time with his family rather than mix with the celebrity crowd. This humility, combined with memories of his extraordinary abilities, meant that he continued to be greatly respected by his fellow professionals. In a BAFTA special shown by the BBC in 2004, stars as diverse as Gene Wilder, Peter Kay and Peter Hall paid tribute to his contribution to comedy and British television in general. Ronnie Barker died on 3 October 2005 after suffering from heart problems. Show less «

Next week we'll be investigating rumours that the president of the dairy council has become a Mason,...Show more »

Next week we'll be investigating rumours that the president of the dairy council has become a Mason, and goes around giving his colleagues the 'secret milkshake.' Show less «

If you like something, you put it up on the wall. Just sling it on the wall and enjoy it.

We had hoped to have been bringing you Arthur the Human Chameleon, but this afternoon, he crawled ac...Show more »

We had hoped to have been bringing you Arthur the Human Chameleon, but this afternoon, he crawled across a tartan rug and died of exhaustion. Show less «

[on the death of Jon Pertwee] I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. It was always great fun and we ...Show more »

[on the death of Jon Pertwee] I thoroughly enjoyed working with him. It was always great fun and we had a lot of laughs. Jon was always very nattily dressed. He was certainly the smartest looking Doctor Who (1963). I last saw him at a party I gave last summer. He was in good spirits and looked very healthy. Show less «

The toilets at a local police station have been stolen. Police say they have nothing to go on.

[a poem he composed to David Jason, to commemorate Jason's impending knighthood] Congratulations, li...Show more »

[a poem he composed to David Jason, to commemorate Jason's impending knighthood] Congratulations, little feed/her gracious Majesty decreed/that Granville, little errand lad/and Del Boy, Frost, and others had/all served their nation passing well/so here's to Granville, Frost and Del! The old ex-Guvnor's proud to see/his comrade reach such high degree/knight of the realm, and TV star/who never thought he'd get this far. 'Arise, Sir David', she will say/the sword upon your shoulder lay. I raise a glass filled to the brim/and truly say, 'Good Knight from him.' Show less «

We're getting paid just to make ourselves laugh. It's not a bad life, is it?

In a packed programme tonight, I shall be having a word with a man who goes in for meditation, becau...Show more »

In a packed programme tonight, I shall be having a word with a man who goes in for meditation, because he thinks it's better than sitting around doing nothing. Show less «

It's better to make people laugh than cry.

I enjoyed Open All Hours more (then Porridge) because of David (Jason).

In a packed programme tonight, we will be talking to an out-of-work contortionist who says he can no...Show more »

In a packed programme tonight, we will be talking to an out-of-work contortionist who says he can no longer make ends meet. Show less «

But first, the news: The House of Commons was sealed off today after police chased an escaped lunati...Show more »

But first, the news: The House of Commons was sealed off today after police chased an escaped lunatic through the front door during Prime Minister's question time. A spokesman at Scotland Yard said it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Show less «

He was wonderful. I loved Jon [Jon Pertwee]. I thought he was a very good actor, I don't think he ac...Show more »

He was wonderful. I loved Jon [Jon Pertwee]. I thought he was a very good actor, I don't think he acted enough. Of course he got into Doctor Who (1963), which was wonderful for him, but he got stuck with it a bit, I thought. But I thoroughly enjoyed working with him on stage. We only stole the show in as much as we only said the lines that were in the script of course. Show less «

The marvelous thing about a joke with a double meaning is that it can only mean one thing.

Many old music hall fans were present at the funeral today of Fred 'Chuckles' Jenkins, Britain's old...Show more »

Many old music hall fans were present at the funeral today of Fred 'Chuckles' Jenkins, Britain's oldest and unfunniest comedian. In tribute, the vicar read out one of Fred's jokes, and the congregation had two minutes silence. Show less «

To get a job where the only thing you have to do in your career is to make people laugh-well, it's t...Show more »

To get a job where the only thing you have to do in your career is to make people laugh-well, it's the best job in the world. Show less «

When they says it's gentle, they normally mean they don't think it's very funny.

There was a strange happening during a performance of Elgar's 'Sea Pictures' at a concert hall in Be...Show more »

There was a strange happening during a performance of Elgar's 'Sea Pictures' at a concert hall in Bermuda tonight, when the man playing the triangle disappeared. Show less «

I suppose I would like to be remembered as one of the funniest men that people have seen on televisi...Show more »

I suppose I would like to be remembered as one of the funniest men that people have seen on television. Show less «

I knew with Porridge (1974) from the first episode. It was in front of an audience which is a wonder...Show more »

I knew with Porridge (1974) from the first episode. It was in front of an audience which is a wonderful sounding board as to how well it's going. My wife was in the audience for that and she said afterwards 'This is going to be a big success' and she was right. Show less «

Don't just crit their siticising.

[announcing his retirement] Witness all ye now here present that I, Ronald William George Barker, kn...Show more »

[announcing his retirement] Witness all ye now here present that I, Ronald William George Barker, known to the world of the footlights as Ronnie Barker, have now stepped from the spotlight after 40 years and whereas I have no longer any claim to the title the Guvnor, being that I no longer hold sway over nor have power to command supporting actors, bit players, stooges and feeds; now this hereby witnesseth that it is my chosen and deliberate intention forthwith to abdicate the said title of the Guvnor in favor of my good loyal and trusty servant David Granville Dithers Jason; and that he now is entitled to bear arms in the dignity of the office and title of the Guvnor and to enjoy all the privileges thereunto belonging. Signed in the presence of these worthies hereunder: Arthur Arkwright, Grocer Norman S. Fletcher, Director Rustless of Chrome Hall KGB, Om & Ronnie Barker, the ex-Guvnor God Save The Queen. Show less «

Ronnie Barker

Ronnie Barker's FILMOGRAPHY

Feedback about this page?